Scott Walker on Jobs

$35M for Wisconsin Fast Forward: technical skill training

Our Blueprint for Prosperity will increase the Wisconsin Fast Forward program by $35 million to focus on three new areas:

Investment in our technical colleges to eliminate waiting list in high demand fields, like manufacturing, agriculture and
Information Technology;

Help high school students get training in high demand jobs through dual enrollment programs between our high schools and technical colleges;

Support programs helping people with disabilities enter the workforce,
in our Year of A Better Bottom Line initiative.

I ask that the funds already set aside in the Joint Finance Committee from the surplus at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation be used for the expansion of Wisconsin Fast Forward. Tomorrow,
I will call for a special session to move forward with legislation to return this surplus to the taxpayers and to invest in our technical colleges, train workers for high-demand jobs, and support employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Link unemployment benefits to job search every week

Q: What about the extension of long-term unemployment benefits? Basically, for people who've been unemployed for six months or more. In the states, they can get up to a combined state and federal unemployment benefits, they could get up to 73 weeks,
close to a year and a half. Where do you stand on that?

WALKER: Any discussion about this should be focused on what sort of reforms are we going to put in place [for] people looking for work. Well, the federal government doesn't require a lot.
We just made a change last year so that people had to look five times or more a week for work without our requirement change. They could go as little as two times a week. If I was out of work, I'd be looking more than twice a week for a job.
I'd be looking for every day except maybe today. I take Sunday off to go to church and pray that I could find a job on Monday, but I think there need to be reforms in that system.

Don't raise minimum wage; train for higher-wage jobs

Q: How about an increase in the minimum wage at the federal level?

WALKER: You know, again, I look at that. Years ago, I worked at McDonald's when I was a kid. Actually, Paul Ryan worked down the road from me in Janesville. I worked in a small town
called Delavan. Those were great jobs to start out with. My great fear is for young people like Paul and I were back then and my kids a few years ago when they worked those sorts of jobs, they'd be without work.
We have a high unemployment rate amongst young people. If we are to raise that artificially, we'd take that away. Instead, what we need to focus on is helping people find the skills they need to fill much better paying jobs, those family-supporting
career-type jobs. Artificially raising the minimum wage whether it's at the state or the federal level is not going to do that. Creating an environment where employers create jobs will do just that.

Hypothetically, make WI a right-to-work state

Barrett made the case that if Walker is allowed to remain in office, he'll turn Wisconsin into a right-to work state. When pressed by the moderator if he would veto right-to-work legislation, Walker hedged. "I've said it's not going to get there. You're
asking a hypothetical," he replied.

Barrett said voters should read between the lines on that answer. "Mark my words, he'll sign it," Barrett said. "He would have a fall from grace with the far right if he would say he's going to veto that."

Unions dislike it, but he was elected to take on sacred cows

Unions protested after Walker attempted to reform and reduce the state's budget. Walker was elected to tackle his state's budget, which necessarily meant having to confront sacred government spending cows--including exorbitant union benefits packages
and collective bargaining powers that had helped to put taxpayers in debt. The Tea Party represents the first time in a long time that the overburdened taxpayer has had a voice.

Source: Now Or Never, by Sen. Jim DeMint, p. 28
, Jan 10, 2012

Create 250,000 jobs via special legislative session

The unemployment rate in December dropped to 7.5% but that is still 3 points worse than it was just 3 years ago. We must do better. Coach Vince Lombardi once said, "Success demands singleness of purpose." We are defining success for this administration
by our ability to shape an environment where 250,000 jobs are created.

Every action of our administration should be looked at through the lens of job creation. That is why--moments after taking the oath of office as your Governor--I called a special
session of the Legislature to focus on jobs. Already, we are sending a clear message that Wisconsin is open for business! That singleness of purpose is why we hit the ground running on our very first day and why by our second day we had already introduce
legislation to improve Wisconsin's economic environment. All told, we introduced 8 pieces of legislation to instill in our state an environment that encourages job creation, and to send the message to employers that now is the time to start hiring.